ECB (European Central Bank)
Lagarde speech: Direction of travel is quite clear on rates
Breaking: European Central Bank leaves key rates unchanged in October, as expected
The ECB announced on Thursday that it left key rates unchanged following the October policy meeting, as expected. With this decision, the interest rate on the main refinancing operations, the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility stood at 2.65%, 2.9% and 2.5%, respectively.
ECB President Lagarde to resign on February 7, 2027
The European Central Bank (ECB) announced on Thursday that President Christine Lagarde has informed the Governing Council that she will resign from her position on February 7, 2027.
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EUR/USD clings to gains around 1.1200; focus is on US Midterms
EUR/USD looks to consolidate its daily gains, navigating around the 1.1200 region on Tuesday. The pair’s marginal advance comes on the back of the equally humble gains in the US Dollar, as investors remain cautious ahead of the US Midterm elections, with results expected to start emerging early on Wednesday in Europe.
GBP/USD extends the upside momentum past 1.3400
GBP/USD adds to its ongoing multi-day positive streak, managing to reclaim the area beyond 1.3400 the figure on turnaround Tuesday. Indeed, Cable’s continuation of the uptrend follows the Greenback’s inconclusive price action as the US Midterm elections are under way, while bets for a rate hike by the BoE on Thursday also underpins the upbeat tone.
AUD/USD weakens to two-week lows near 0.6960
AUD/USD clinches its second consecutive daily pullback as market participants continue to assess the RBA’s rate hike earlier in the day. Indeed, the pair slipped back toward the 0.6960 zone, or multi-day troughs, following the less-hawkish-than-expected message from the RBA after it hiked the OCR by 25 bps, as widely anticipated.
Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP under pressure as investors pull capital
Bitcoin trades downward at $76,566 on Tuesday, testing six-week lows. Ethereum, like Bitcoin, trades under pressure as it consolidates within a narrow support range. Meanwhile, Ripple hovers marginally above $1.25.
US Dollar Index edges up within range with midterm elections front and centre
The US Dollar Index is picking up from session lows but remains within previous ranges, below 102.00. The Greenback is drawing support from hostilities in Iran and higher Oil prices, but US political uncertainty is capping gains.
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what is the ECB?
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank empowered to manage monetary policy for the Eurozone. With its beginnings in Germany in 1998, the ECB's mandate is to maintain price stability in the Eurozone, so that the Euro's (EUR) purchasing power is not eroded by inflation. As an entity independent of individual European Union countries and institutions, the ECB targets a year-on-year increase in consumer prices of 2% over the medium term. Another of its tasks is controlling the money supply. This involves, for instance, setting interest rates throughout the Eurozone. The European Central Bank's work is organized via the following decision-making bodies: the Executive Board, the Governing Council and the General Council. Christine Lagarde has been the President of the ECB since November 1, 2019. Her speeches, statements and comments are an important source of volatility, especially for the Euro and the currencies traded against the European currency.
who is ECB's President?
Christine Lagarde was born in 1956 in Paris, France. Lagarde, who graduated from Paris West University Nanterre La Défense, became President of the European Central Bank (ECB) on November 1, 2019. Prior to that, she served as Chairman and Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) between 2011 and 2019. Lagarde previously held various senior ministerial posts in the Government of France: she was Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry (2007-2011), Minister of Agriculture and Fishing (2007) and Minister of Commerce (2005-2007).
Lagarde on How to trade the ECB interest-rate decision
The ECB Governing Council makes monetary policy decisions at meetings held eight times a year. Decisions are made by heads of the Eurozone national banks and six permanent members, including the President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde.
Prior to the rate decision:
- Many traders buy the rumors and square their positions shortly after the decision is made. For instance, if the market believes that the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike interest rates, traders buy the Euro (EUR) and close the position shortly after the announcement. On the other hand, if the expectation is a rate cut, traders will short the Euro and square the position after the announcement.
After the rate decision:
- If the market's expectations differ from the actual rate decision, there can be some excellent trading opportunities.
- If the market expects a rate hike but the European Central Bank ends up cutting rates, a short-term (1-2 hours) selling the Euro could be successful.
- If the market expects a rate cut but the ECB raises rates, a short-term long position on the Euro (1-2 hours) may be advantageous.
More generally, relatively high interest rates will usually result in a stronger Euro and vice versa.
Hike, cut or keep interest rates unchanged
The European Central Bank's (ECB) decision on interest rates always has an effect on the Euro (EUR).
When interest rates increase, the European Central Bank is selling government securities to large financial firms. In turn, the financial organizations are paying in euros for these securities. This effectively decreases the amount of currency circulating in the economy. A decreasing supply leads to higher demand and therefore causes the value of the Euro to appreciate.
When the interest rates decrease, the European Central Bank floods the market with euros. This is done by purchasing government securities from financial organizations. In return for the securities, these banks and financial deals are paid in euros, therefore increasing the supply of euros in the economy. As supply increases, the value of the Euro depreciates.
the world interest rates table
The World Interest Rates Table reflects the current interest rates of the main countries around the world, set by their respective Central Banks. Rates typically reflect the health of individual economies, as in a perfect scenario, Central Banks tend to rise rates when the economy is growing and therefore instigate inflation.
some concepts you need to know
In practical terms, QE means that central banks create money out of nothing to buy securities, such as government bonds. This new money swells the size of bank reserves by the quantity of assets purchased and that's why this programme is called Quantitative Easings. The money supply is intended to flood financial institutions with capital in an effort to stimulate lending and increase liquidity.
Much of the governments' debt is held by banks in the Eurozone and the ECB wants them to give more credits. If the European Central Bank buys government bonds, their prices rise and profitability drop even more. This is a liquidity-providing operation that weakens the value of the euro. This depreciation makes European exports cheaper and competitive, and ultimately, helps in recovering. In addition, as a result of the stimulus to internal and external consumption, the ECB combats the risk of deflation, a widespread and prolonged drop in prices, as well as the high unemployment.